Part Twenty One
Khushi walked towards Arnav's cabin with the coffee mug trembling in her hands. Standing outside his door, she had a mental conversation with herself. "Okay Khushi. You don't have to get so nervous. He must have been joking when he said that you have to kiss him." "But, what if he is serious?" "Well, it's just a kiss!" "Just a kiss? Last time you kissed him in his car, you were thinking of nearly stripping off your clothes and letting him have his way with you, in his car, in the middle of the street, in broad daylight!" Arnav saw Khushi standing near the door and cocked his brow as he noticed that she was talking to herself. "Come in, Khushi" He spoke aloud, bringing her out of her thoughts. She nervously entered the cabin and walked towards his desk, still blushing about her erotic encounter with him in the car. "Seems like you were having quite an interesting conversation outside my cabin, all by yourself?" Arnav stood up, smirking at her, as he walked to the cabinet to retrieve a bundle of files. "No, nothing interesting as such." She mumbled. He dumped the files on his desk and leaned against it. Khushi looked at the desk and remembered last night's conversation. "You know, I have this fantasy of having my sexy P.A. do something really improper with her boss during working hours... And then I carry you and make you lie on my desk, as I make love to you, in the bright daylight" She could not help, but blush till her soft cheeks turned red. Arnav noticed the pink hue on her face and stepped forward to touch her cheek with his index finger. "I love when you blush" he whispered hoarsely in her ears as he blew air on her cheek. She knew that if she stood one minute more in his cabin, she would be reduced to a mushy puddle.
She scurried to move out of his cabin as Arnav sipped from his coffee. Just when she was about to go out, he called out to her. "Khushi..." She shut her eyes and hoped he did not remember about his absurd suggestion of making her practice the kiss. "Don't you think you forgot something?" he said, while she was still backing him. She turned around and walked to him looking at him smile at her, as she recalled what he said, "You need more practice with the kissing skills, Khushi. Henceforth, whenever you come to my cabin, you will kiss me until I say you have improved" Khushi stood in front of him, while he just looked at her face. "Okay Khushi, you can do this. Just kiss him once, but kiss him perfectly so that he does not keep asking you to repeat over and over again." She thought and mentally gave herself a pat.
She leaned closer to him and placed her soft hands on either side of his face, pulling him closer to her. Arnav smiled and placed his hands on her waist and pulled her towards him. She pressed her lips into his and in an instant she began to feel the familiar heat coiling around her. All of her inhibitions jumped out of the window when she felt his fingers drawing faint circles on her waist, through the fabric of the shirt. She kissed his full lips, and then settled on his upper lip, as he toyed with her lower one. He traced her lip with his tongue, while his right hand went to her face to slightly tilt her head, so that he could enter into her mouth with ease. She gasped as his left hand rubbed her back and his fingers settled at where he could feel the hook of her bra. Khushi knew she was crossing limits and playing with fire. But this fire did not burn her. Instead, it made her want him more. It made her thirst for his touches that were growing bolder with each heated moment. Just when she gasped, he entered her mouth with his tongue and she too mimicked his actions by entering into his mouth. His fingers neatly unhooked her bra through her shirt with a skilful technique and his hand which was at her face came back to her wait, tugging at the shirt which was tucked inside her skirt.
Khushi soon felt his fingers on the bare skin of her tummy. Her head rang warning bells, and this was the farthest that she had gone with any man. She wanted to heed to what her head spoke, but she felt so pleasurable that she could not believe that something which felt so good could be so wrong. She did not know how and when, but her fingers had already undone the buttons of his shirt, and her hands were now roaming on his bare chest. His chest felt so hard and muscular, and he almost bit her lip in ecstasy when her fingers brushed his nipples, arousing him, that he wanted to bend her and take her against the cold glass of the office desk. Khushi felt his gentle touch growing bolder as he grazed the skin of her body, proceeding to feel her breasts. Just when his fingers crept under the swells of her breasts inside her bra, her eyes flew open and she pushed his hands away, parting immediately from him as though his touch scalded her. Arnav's breathing was still ragged while his head reeled from the earth-shattering kiss. Never did he expect that a miniature bomb like Khushi could ever make him so aroused that he would not think twice before he rammed against her, right in the middle of his office.
He saw her standing in front of him, trying to hook the buckle of her bra inside the shirt, and tucking her shirt, without even looking at him. He was surprised that even looking at her arranging her dishelved clothes could make him want her more. This was another first for him! Then, without sparing a glance at him, she said in a heavy breath, "You cannot touch me like that" Arnav grinned shamelessly. Her breathing was ragged too, and her voice was hoarse, which meant that she too enjoyed the little make-out session. He took a step towards her, and pulled her in his arms. "How do I kiss you without touching you, honey? I do not know any as such. Why don't you kiss me again, and teach me how to kiss you back without touching you?" Khushi looked at him with her eyes wide open. In response to his challenge, she could only gasp. He looked at her parted lips and his eyes turned darker. Khushi knew his mind well by now, and she just stepped away. He straightened out the crumples of his suit and said, "Well, I did not force you, did I? You came walking up to me and kissed me! And wow, what a kiss it was!" Arnav said in a husky tone, causing her to blush to a deepest shade of red. When she felt her cheeks less warmer, she whispered, "I kissed you only because you asked me to!"
Arnav's mouth twitched into a smile. "Did I, now?" Khushi narrowed her eyes. "Yes, you did! You told me that I will have to kiss you every single time I came to your cabin..." She looked confused, and Arnav just threw his head back in laughter. Khushi was offended and crossed her arms at her chest. "You don't have to laugh just because of my inexperience" She said dryly, and Arnav immediately stopped laughing. She took a different meaning out of his laugh. "Honey, I wasn't laughing at your inexperience!" He cupped her face and kissed her forehead. And if she said that she did not like it, she would be lying. However, he continued looking into her eyes and said, "Hell, if that was your inexperience, I wonder how wonderful it would be once you've had the experience from me!" And she blushed again, so hard that her cheeks hurt. and then he whispered into her ears, saying, "I mean, we could literally burn the sheets, and bring the entire neighbourhood down with the sexy noises we'd make" Khushi felt her head reeling at the image he just spoke of. She felt a shiver down her spine as she imagined her body writhing beneath his muscular hard form, both beaded with perspiration, as he thrust himself within her, while she dug her nails into his back, and he bit at her collarbone. He cleared his throat and flashed her one of his arrogant grins, for he knew what was on her mind.
"But you were the one that reminded me about the kiss when I was leaving from here!" she argued. "I reminded you?" Arnav was perplexed. He was only pulling her leg when he had teased her about practising the kiss. Surely he wouldn't risk of making out with her in the office. For he knew that once he would touch her, he wouldn't be able to stop and take his hands off her. "Yes, you asked me if I was forgetting something? That was about the kiss, right?" Khushi wasn't so sure anymore. Arnav's expressions confused her. And at her last question, Arnav's jaws almost hung open. "Err, Khushi. When I said that you forgot something, I meant, you forgot the sugar in my coffee!" An odd silence fell in the room, and Khushi wished that a magical hole in the ground would swallow her up. She wanted to hide. Just dig a hole, lie in it and cry. What was she thinking? Arnav tried hard not to laugh. He knew that his laugh would only make her more embarrassed and complicate the situation. And the last thing he wanted was to hurt Khushi, even if it was unintentional.
"I. Am. So. Sorry" Khushi said, looking to the ground as she fidgeted with her nails. Arnav made her look up at him by holding her chin with his fingers, "Don't be sorry, love. I do not want you regret something that felt so beautiful" Her eyes welled up in emotion. She felt fluttery at how he made her feel. And then to lighten the mood, he teased her saying, "Well darling, if that is how you're planning to compensate for a spoonful of sugar, I'd stop eating anything that is sweet. By the way, that kiss alone is enough to kill me with rhapsody!" "Arnav.." she hit him at his chest and ran out of the cabin, before he could inch closer to pull her for another kiss. Arnav ran his hand through his hair. He looked at his own reflection in the glass. "What have you turned me into, Miss Khushi Gupta!" he said and smiled sheepishly. He would have to ask Akaash to talk to Khushi's Dad about Khushi's hand for him in marriage. He could not afford to keep touching her, and surprisingly, his conscience pricked him, making him feel that it was morally wrong to keep touching her without a wedding ring on her finger. Another first for him!
Akaash walked towards the lawyer's office and saw Payal standing near the window. She looked beautiful, radiant and still affected him as if seven years of separation never happened. She turned and looked at him with an expression of disbelief. "What are you doing here?" She just could not believe that Akaash was standing in front of her. All the memories she had tried to bury with time came back to hurt her again, and all her efforts for the past seven years in forgetting those hurts feelings just went down the drain. Just then, Mr. Virendra Sinha, her father's friend and the man handling his will, came out to the passage of his office and said, "Your father wanted him here Payal" and then looking at both, he said, "Please take a seat inside. I will be right back." Both of them entered the office and sat waiting for Mr. Sinha, without saying a word, both lost in the past memories.
And as though breaking their train of thoughts, a voice shrieked into their ears. "Mom, I want ice cream!" Akaash turned around to look at a girl of around five or six years. What shocked him more was that she was calling out to Payal, who quickly got up from her chair and knelt in front of her, blocking her view to Akaash. "Kavya, I told you to wait in the car with uncle Karan, right?" "Yeah, but when I asked him for ice cream, he said that he would get me one, only after you said okay. So I came up here." Both of them were so involved in the conversation that they did not notice Akaash getting up from his chair and standing next to them. By the time Payal noticed him, he was looking at the girl, as though studying her features. "Alright, go now. But only ONE ice cream! Not more" The girl seemed to be more than happy and ran back downstairs.
"You have a child?" Akaash said, still looking in the direction of the little girl. Before Payal could answer his question, he asked her, "How old is she?" Payal knew she could not lie anymore. "Six years old" she whispered. Akaash's expression changed from a frown to a shock to a blank one and then to a happy one. "Is she my child? I mean, am I her father?" Payal took a deep breath and closed her eyes, nodding a meek yes. He almost had tears in his eyes. He held her shoulders and hugged her tight. "Kavya is a wonderful name" he whispered. She stiffened, not knowing what to do or say. Moments later, he pulled away from her. "Why didn't you tell me?" He looked into her eyes and noticed that she had visibly paled. Suddenly, she seemed to be too afraid to say anything, and that was when realization dawned on him. "Akaash..." He held up a hand as she began to speak, "I'm not going to take your daughter away, Payal. So you can stop worrying, and in Arnav's defence, he didn't say a word to me about her." Her shoulders slumped, "Do you mean that about custody?" "I do. I just want to handle this in harmony so she doesn't get affected. And that means no lawyers. I'll pay you child support, and whatever you need." "I don't want anything from you Akaash. I wish you realized that years ago." She said in a soft voice. "I should have Payal, but I was stupid." He admitted. That got him a look of expressed shock. He knew why. He was arrogant just like his brother, but he'd been humbled over this situation and it wasn't often that he apologized for much, but the situation with his ex-fianc was a complete royal screw up on his side.
Just then Mr. Sinha entered the cabin and cleared his throat, "We need to get on with this." Payal and Akaash took their seats on the opposite side of the desk as Sinha pulled out and envelope and removed some papers from it. His eyes went to Payal, "I just want you to know that this is in no way personal. Your father felt he had a lot to make up for." She gave him a puzzled look and Sinha folded his hands in front of him on his desk, "He left everything to Mr. Akaash Raizada" "What?" she shot to her feet, with Akaash still staring at him in disbelief. "I'm sorry Payal, but he had his reasons." Mr. Sinha said dryly. "What reasons?" She couldn't help the tears that started to fall, "He really didn't love me... After all of this time, he..." Akaash couldn't help himself, "Come here." He said gently moving his arms around her, "I know I'm not the best person for this right now, but please..." To Payal's own surprise, she did. She clung to him and wept. Gosh he smelled so good! Akaash looked at the lawyer over her head, "What reasons, Mr. Sinha?" "He thought he could make things up to you two. He said he lied about everything and you, Mr. Raizada, would know what that meant." That brought Payal's head up, "Lied? About what?" Akaash looked down at her, "He was the one that told me about you only marrying me for my money. He told me you did this to several other men... That you..." "You believed him?" She shoved herself away from him.
"He was your father." Akaash exclaimed. "He was a drunk, and he didn't want to be alone! That's why he did that, Akaash! For his own selfishness" She yelled at him, "You should have asked me!" "I tried." He said feeling more guilty by the second, "When I came to my senses you left town. I spent months looking for you!" She buried her head in her hands remembering that day. "God! I was so ashamed. I was pregnant and single. My fiance threw me aside, rumours started circulating. I couldn't bring Kavya up in a place like that with an alcoholic grandfather who would rarely let me out of the house for fear of being alone." He felt more guilty. "I lived with this guilt every day, Payal." He confessed. That brought her attention back to him, "You did? Akaash you have no idea what I have been through." He visibly winced at her tone, "No, I can't even imagine." He went to reach for her and she slapped his hand away. "Don't, just don't Akaash. I can't handle that." What she didn't say, is that being in his arms felt as though it was yesterday, the last time he held her and told her he loved her. He hadn't changed much either. He was still strikingly handsome with his sharp looks with the exception of streaks of grey at the temples which made him look even more distinguished. Even now she knew that Karan didn't hold a candle to him, but she had promised Karan that she'd marry him.
"Payal." Mr. Sinha's voice interrupted, "In Akaash's defence, your father said he was very convincing and your Dad also didn't know about Kavya, or things would have been different." She gaped at him, "Seven years Sinha Uncle." She turned her eyes on Akaash, "Seven years!" "I'm sorry Payal." Akaash went to reach for her again. "No!" she tried to step away from him, but he caught her anyway. He also felt her tremble, "I won't hurt you." He said gently, "I promise that it'll never happen again." He took her arm and led her back to the chair, "Sit down." She did only because she had problems standing. She was too upset and her head reeled. Everything was a lie! She was lied to by her own father. Her father, who was involved in destroying her relationship with Akaash. She became oddly quiet and stared down at her clasped hands. Now she had nothing.. She was hoping for the money from the sale of the house to procure a trust fund for Kavya. Karan was good to her but she couldn't expect him to pay for everything, even if he adored Kavya. "I'll sign everything over to you. I don't need it." Akaash said taking the seat beside her. "You would do that?" She brought her head up and stared at him in awe. "Yes, I would do that for you." He answered sincerely. Mr. Sinha cleared his throat again, "There's a problem with that." "What problem?" Akaash asked. "Payal's Dad said that you would try to do that because you're an honourable man, and if you did, I have orders to liquefy his assets and give them to charity. That means if there's any evidence that you even try and give her money out of your own pocket..." "What nonsense, Mr. Sinha, she's the mother of my child! I owe her support!" he argued. Sinha shook his head, "I told you, Payal's Dad didn't know about her pregnancy. And even if he did, I don't think things would change. So, beyond giving her a few hundred dollars for necessities each week, you cannot give her anything more." "No one can live on that!" Akaash ran his fingers through his dark hair in frustration, "What about his savings accounts... anything?" Sinha shook his head, "Everything goes to you." Akaash cursed. Then he looked at Payal who looked completely defeated. He would take out a large sum of cash from his own accounts and give that to her, however the old man must've thought about that too.
"Before you get any ideas, Akaash, when this money goes in your name, you need to sign a release for your own bank accounts and assets. You cannot access any of your existing money. Payal's Dad wanted to make sure you wouldn't try and spend your own money on her." He cursed fluently in a language unknown to both of them for a full minute. "There's more..." Sinha said and Akaash groaned. "It's crazy but there is a way you can have the money, Payal." Mr. Sinha suggested. "I appreciate what you're trying to do uncle, but he didn't have much anyway. It's not like I haven't struggled before..." She said solemnly, "Actually, he did have money." Sinha said. "Yes, he was an alcoholic Payal, we all knew that, but he was good with money. He knew a lot of loopholes and acted like a scrooge with it." "How much?" Akaash asked. Sinha looked back and forth between the two, "Well if everything gets liquefied today, five million."
One could have heard a pin drop in the room as the two gaped at the older man. It was Akaash that spoke first. "What's the condition that gets her the money?" After hearing how they were betrayed and especially knowing that she must've gone through hell, he wanted her to have it and was willing to do anything within his power to help her get it. "That she marries you." Payal shot to her feet, "My father was crazy!" "No he wasn't." Sinha said leaning back in his seat watching the two of them. It was obvious that the sly old man wasn't too far off in trying to get these two back together, because there was still some fire between them. "Could it be possible that he had some sort of lunacy?" she said exasperated. "Absolutely not. I'll tell you right now Payal, this Will is as solid as a rock. There is no loophole in it." "My lawyers will look at it." Akaash said deterministically. "Look all you like, but he spent years preparing this after she left him." Sinha waved a hand toward Payal, "He knew he did something terrible when she ran away and didn't contact him. It was lucky that you did finally phone him last month." "I thought it was time we mended things." Her eyes guided to Akaash, "I was getting married to Karan, and I don't have any other family."
Akaash watched her thoughtfully not missing the flash of hurt in her eyes. He knew he'd hurt her back then, probably more than he could possibly repair, but he was also betrayed, "It's not the end of the world Payal." Akaash said. "Now you're sounding crazy." She plopped herself down and buried her face in her hands. Akaash put his arm around her, "We'll get married, then we'll get an annulment." Akaash said in a dull voice. He knew that once she married him, he would be able to convince her to stay. Sinha cleared his throat again. "Good God! Give her a break man." Akaash said knowing that something else was coming. "You two need to stay married for five years and she needs to live with you, under your roof. The old man had several years to think this through while his guilt was eating him alive at what he'd done to you two. He'd lost his daughter over his selfishness and wanted to make things right." Even though Akaash was sympathetic to her anguish, he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of relief. "I won't live off of you." She darted her eyes to Akaash. "I owe you anyway Payal, for Kavya." "I don't want anything." "She said fiercely. No? And how do you suppose you are going to eat? Then think of our daughter. I can send her to the best schools, dance classes, piano lessons..." "I have Karan." She accused. What she didn't tell him was that Karan had been supporting her for the last six months because her job as a secretary ended and she wasn't able to get another job. It was eating her up with guilt to be living off of him. Then there was what Akaash was suggesting about Kavya. She'd have the best. She knew he'd see to it.
"I see, so he's willing to support my daughter too, knowing that I'm wealthy and perfectly capable?" He shouldn't have sounded defensive, but it angered him that this man was seen as her saviour. She pursed her lips. Karan probably would if she asked him, but she couldn't bring herself to do that. He was already supporting both of them, and she was worried about Kavya's future. It was Kavya's money that her deceased father left them both, because she herself didn't want a cent of it. "Karan's not a bad man." She said softly. "I never accused him of that. He seems to have done a good job so far, but my daughter is my responsibility." Akaash spoke. She dropped her shoulders in defeat. Although she'd never tell him, she still loved Akaash and she couldn't possibly deny him Kavya. She needed to get to know her father and his proposal was more than enticing. "Does she even know about me?" he said raising his brows. "She does." She said defensively, "I've told her wonderful things about you, even if I hated you." Another wash of relief overtook him. That meant that Payal didn't try and pass Karan off as her father which she had every right to do. "Thank you." He said. As for her other statement, he was pretty sure she didn't hate him. She shrugged, "She's curious, although she's not seen any picture of her father. She knows you live here in the city and after I saw Arnav the other day, I told her that she was going to meet you, eventually." Akaash stared down at her vulnerable expression, "Payal, it does sound like your father was trying to do his best to make up to you." She took a deep breath, "I know. I guess it's just hurtful that he was responsible for destroying something I loved." Loved? Akaash heard the word and a thrill went through him. After her father told him things about her, he doubted her feelings for him, but now she had nothing and had nothing to lose, so the confession was genuine. "I still love you Payal." He admitted softly unsure where he got the guts to say that. Her eyes shot to his and the vulnerability in those deep brown depths was profound and pulled at his heart. "Akaash, please don't..." "I do, Payal. I always have." He said, to which she shot back, "I'm getting married to Karan." "He's not the one for you." "He's a better man than you Akaash Raizada." She shot at him. "That's probably true because he wouldn't have hurt you the way I did." "No one could do that ever again." She said, with the hurt evident in her eyes. "Marry me, and we'll make things work... do it for Kavya." "Don't use her to drag my feelings into this, Akaash." "I'll make you happy. I will." "I'm already miserable with these demands that my father wrote." She waved an arm toward Sinha, and then looked back to Akaash "I won't love you again. I just cannot." her voice softened. "Never again, Akaash." She said and stormed out of the office in tears.
CID
16